Methods for protection against bacterial and viral infections in the education and social services sectors, i.e. protection for educational and non-educational workers and children against biological agents
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed the lack of preparedness of the public sector and households for pandemic situations. Public institutions, including social care facilities and schools, were forced to determine the most suitable approaches to ensuring the care of entrusted persons and the continued operation of their institutions without guidance and only later in the context of uniform recommendations. Moreover, it became evident that both in the EU and globally no respiratory protection devices intended specifically for children had been designed let alone were available on the market. Up to the emergence of Covid-19, respirators were produced primarily for use in workplaces with high dust levels.
Based on the analysis of the relevant regulations and recommended approaches, a basic concept of a suitable procedure for ensuring protection against viral and bacterial infections for workers in public institutions, as well as clients of social care and education facilities, will be proposed. Moreover, the determined basic concept will be confronted with procedures that have been introduced in randomly selected education and social care facilities aimed at creating a uniform methodology for both types of facilities that affords protection for workers, clients and children.